that would be enough
by Etirdoyn
Summary: I used to dream about going on a pokemon journey all the time when I was younger. But those were just childhood dreams. Real life isn't so easy. And the thing about real life? Eventually...everyone dies. (Nuzlocke Fic)


**Author's Note: This here be a Nuzlocke Fic.**

_**Rules:**_

**\- Any Pokémon that faints is considered dead, and must be released or put in the Pokémon Storage System permanently.  
****\- Only the first Pokémon encountered in each area can be caught.  
****\- All Pokémon must be nicknamed.  
****\- Starter Pokémon is based on the player's Trainer ID number. If the last number is 1-3 the player starts with a Grass type, 4-6 is Fire type, 7-9 is Water type, 0 is the player's choice.  
****\- Not officially enforcing the rules until the player has Pokeballs and can catch Pokémon.  
****_\- Mercy rule:_ each Gym Badge acts as a checkpoint. If the player gets a game over, they can start from when they got their previous Gym Badge.**

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**_that would be enough_**

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**Episode 1 **● _**Yer a trainer, Blue**_

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_I used to dream about going on a pokemon journey all the time when I was younger._

_I would picture my starter, which changed a lot - flipping from Charmander to Bulbasaur to Squirtle to Charmander all over again - as I imagined different things but the thing that remained the same is that it would be loyal to me and we would be best friends — _partners_. Together we would catch the perfect team and win every battle as we collected badges, of course it would be tough but we would do it because we were going to be the best. We were going to become the Champion._

_But those were just childhood dreams. Real life isn't so easy. And the thing about real life?_

_Eventually...everyone _**dies**_._

* * *

Blue woke up early.

It wasn't exactly voluntary, if nothing else Blue was most empathically _not_ a morning person, but it was necessary. Today, after all, was the day she finally - f_inally!_ \- got her Trainer's License. Which meant she was going to get her very first pokémon today.

_She was starting her Pokémon journey today!_

Blue was so excited that she almost forgot about everything she had saved up and prepared for this day. It was only thanks to the note she had taped to the wall last night that she didn't forget. Instead, she rushed to grab her bag - she had packed, inspected if she had forgotten anything and repacked a total of five times last night - then to the PC to withdraw the potion she had stored there. Blue paused after tugging on her shoes - she had taken a shower and got dressed last night, knowing she would be too excited to waste time on such things today - to glance around her room.

Her floor was made of wood and the walls a boring off grey that had blue stripes painted at the bottom. She had a bed near enough to the old, hand-me-down TV that she could see the screen if she sat at the end but not so close that it was on the yellow-dotted green rug the TV rested on. There was an old Nes game set hooked up to the TV, it's controller resting in front of it like an invitation. In the corner, on the opposite side of her door - well, she said 'door' but really it was just the stairway entrance seeing as her door was currently… indisposed - was her PC on a wooden desk with a blue little stool-chair in front of it. Her small dresser was next to the desk, and beyond the dresser was her bookcase that was crammed full of books. The only real 'decoration' was the note she had taped onto the wall last night.

Her room wasn't a big one and didn't really have much….but she was going to miss it.

"Not enough to stay, though." Blue said, swiping her hat off the top of her TV and slamming it onto her head before rushing out of her room.

She slowed down when she reached the bottom of the stairs, seeing her mother up and sitting at the table with breakfast ready. "I made breakfast."

"I see that." Blue said, blinking before walking over to the table and snagging two slices of toast before shoving some eggs and bacon between them to make a quick breakfast sandwich. "I'll take this with me and eat on the way."

"...Right." Her mother said, turning to her. "All girls dream of traveling. It said so on the TV." Mom added, voice lifting at the joke but her smile didn't fit. Before Blue could comment on her mood though, she shook her head and continued. "Oh, yes. Professor Oak, next door, was looking for you."

"I'll just- go see what he wants then. _Loveyoumombye!_" Blue said in a rush, giving her a quick hug before fleeing the awkwardness of her mother being so… forlorn.

Shaking her head, Blue hurried to the lab as she swiftly ate the sandwich. When she came up to the lab doors, she shoved the last of it into her mouth and brushed off the crumbs on her shirt before going inside. It was a bit of a bad plan as a few of the researchers - students, mostly - gave quick hellos to her, leaving her with nothing to do but nod and pretend her cheeks weren't puffed out from a bunch of food while hurrying towards the back where the professor worked.

Blue wasn't running, really.

"What, it's only Blue?" She twitched a bit, hearing Green scoff and realized that he was alone here. As if to emphasize that realization he said, "Gramps isn't around."

Blue nodded, eyes widening when he started to look at her - at her _cheeks_ \- more closely and hurried out the way she came before he could say anything. Outside she spoke to the man that hung out near the lab to see if he had seen the professor. That swiftly turned into politely ending the conversation when all he did was gush about the wonders of technology in general and the PC specifically. That idea a failure, she headed toward the Oak home to see if he was there or, if not, if Daisy knew where he was.

Blue couldn't help her eyes getting drawn towards the path out of town. She drifted closer without really realizing it, enraptured by the forest and dense undergrowth - there scattered bits of tall grasses also which is why people generally just referred to it as the tall grass - that grew beyond the town.

_Soon,_ She promised herself as she wondered about the pokemon she would encounter on her journey. _I'll be out there soon._

_"Hey! Wait! Don't go out!"_ Someone shouted behind her and Blue jumped, startled to realize just how close she had gotten to the wilderness. She whirled around and found the professor himself rushing to her. "It's unsafe! Wild pokemon live in the tall grass!" He sighed, calming down now that she hadn't done something crazy like dive for the forest. "You need your own pokemon for your protection."

Professor Oak sighed again, shaking his head before straightening up with a sudden enthusiasm. "I know! Here, come with me!"

Not willing to argue, Blue obediently followed behind the professor as he lead them back to the lab and inside to where Green was still waiting. Green, who immediately made his displeasure known. "Gramps! I'm fed up with waiting!"

"Green? Let me think..." Professor Oak blinked then shook his head. "Oh, that's right, I told you to come! Just wait!" He said, waving off his grandson before looking at her. "Here, Blue. There are three pokemon here." He gestured to a table nearby that had pokeballs laid out carefully, a little printed out paper in front of each which seemed to have an image on it.

"The pokemon are held inside of these pokeballs." The professor went on after a brief burst of delighted laughter. The laughter faded though, his tone becoming a bit more solemn. "When I was young, I was a serious pokemon trainer. But now, in my old age, I have only these three left. You can have one." He shook himself out of the odd mood, regaining enthusiasm once more. "Go on, choose!"

Green protested at once. "Hey! Gramps! No fair! What about me?"

"Be patient Green. You can have one too!' The professor waved him off, looking at her expectantly.

Blue went to the table, barely keeping herself from running. The papers, she now saw, were indicators of which pokemon was in which ball. Each paper had the name of the pokemon, then a picture of it, then it's type as a kind of 'general information' thing but under that was additional information specific to the pokemon in the ball such as sex, ability, nature and the moves it knew.

Walking slowly along the table, Blue peered carefully at each paper. She already knew the general information, having spent years imagining this day, but the additional info was something she was keenly interested in. By the time she reached the end of the table, however, her choice remained unchanged from yesterday and she picked up the pokeball.

"Ah!" Professor Oak said, starling her a bit as she had forgotten she wasn't alone as she made this decision. "Charmander is your choice. You should raise it patiently." He advised, pulling a notebook out of his lab coat. "So, Blue, you are claiming the fire pokemon Charmander?"

"Yes." She said, nodding firmly.

"Do you want to give it a nickname?" He asked, scribbling something in his notebook.

"Yes." She said, having already thought about this yesterday also. "I'll call him Charlie."

The professor might have answered but she didn't know, Green rushed up to the table and glanced at the papers quickly before snatching up the middle ball. "I'll take this one, then!"

Blue…. kind of wanted to sigh when she saw it was Squirtle he chose. Squirtle, as in the water type pokemon of the trio. Squirtle, as in the pokemon that would have a natural advantage against her Charmander. She really had no idea where this rivalry Green concocted had come from but she knew it was _exhausting_.

"I need to say bye to my mom." Blue said instead of sighing, heading for the exit with her pokeball still in hand.

"Wait, Blue!" Green called before she could get halfway to the front door, rushing to her. "Let's check out our pokemon! Come on, I'll take you on!" Blue didn't get any more warning before he backed up a bit and called out his pokemon.

"_Fine._ One battle!" She said after a moment of quick thought that had her eventually deciding it was best to test out battling here, where she could get immediate medical attention for Charlie if needed. "Go! Charlie!"

Blue was vaguely aware of Professor Oak sighing over their antics before deciding to use this entire thing as a learning experience. Instead, she was focused on Charlie, who looked back at her with a soft _charr_ before focusing on Squirtle. "Alright Charlie, let's see how well we work together. Use Scratch!"

_Mander!_ Charlie cried, tail swinging behind him as he rushed Squirtle and clawed at the fleshy limbs peeking out of the shell. At Green's command, Squirtle pulled back a little before rushing forward to ram into Charlie with a Tackle that had the fire-type staggering backwards.

"Alright?" Blue fretted for a moment before she got a firm _Mander char!_ "Good! Use Scratch again, this time don't stay so close!"

Charlie nodded before attacking, Squirtle tried to back away but still wound up with a leg getting scratched up. Charlie turned away to get some distance and that's when Squirtle landed another hit in a Tackle.

"That's okay! We got to make sure to keep our eyes on your opponent. Scratch! This time aim higher!" Blue called.

_Charr…._ Charlie drew out as he went for another attack, circling Squirtle once before attacking. The claws on his hands raked across the side of the water-type's face as he bellowed out a loud_ MANDER!_ Squirtle let out a terrified squealing noise before it's head, tail and legs all disappeared into its shell. It took a moment, and an ignored order to attack, before it was decided that Squirtle would fight no more and the battle was over.

"WHAT?" Green returned Squirtle with a scoff, "Unbelievable. I picked the wrong pokemon!" He threw a bundle of bills at her that she guessed was somewhere between fifty and a hundred poké while the professor commented on how battle winners got money for winning.

"Okay!" Green said, shoving her a bit and cutting off his grandpa. "I'll make my pokemon battle to toughen it up! Blue! Gramps! Smell you later!" He made to shove right past her but Charlie made an almost _hissing_ noise that had Green walking around her - the opposite side of where her pokemon stood - as he made his exit.

"My valiant protector." Blue smiled, crouching down a bit to look him in the eye. "I'm so proud of you Charlie. We won our first battle together! We're going to be an amazing team, I just know it!"

_Charmander!_

"Blue," Professor Oak called as she stood up, reaching out to softly pat Charlie's head. "Before you start your journey, will you do me a favor and pick up something from the Pokémart in the next town? Your Trainer ID will be registered and ready for you by the time you get back."

Blue looked at Charlie, who blinked back at her with a quiet_ charr..?_, before nodding. "Yeah, okay. I'll run to town then hurry back." She gave Charlie one last pat before returning him as she made her leave. "See you in a bit professor!"

_... I'm coming back, I don't need to say bye just yet._ Blue thought as she ran by her and the Oak home towards the road out of town, trying not to feel guilty._ I'll be back today, even! Route One isn't that long to travel if you don't get lost or sidetracked by pokemon. And I'm running so it'll be even faster!_

Which, of course, is when she wound up stepping on a Rattata tail.

_Raaatt_ the pokemon let out something between a growl and a hiss, whirling to face her as she stumbled back and off it's tail. "Ah ha… nice pokemon?" Blue backed up further as it advanced, before remembering she wasn't alone. "Charlie go, use Scratch!"

_Mannnder._ The fire-type growled, getting between her and the wild pokemon who paused, refocusing before continuing. Charlie lashed out, the Rattata jumping backwards a moment too late to avoid the attack but shaking it off to attack with it's own Tackle. Charlie staggered back a step then snorted, attacking with another Scratch that hit.

_Tata Rattat!_ The wild pokemon hissed, fur and tail standing on end while it stared at Charlie before it turned tail and ran.

"Maybe we should walk together the rest of the way? It's not too far." Blue said, earning a nod before the Charmander made his way to her. "Alright! Let's go!"

She didn't run this time, she had seen Charlie be quick on his feet to attack but he really did not seem like the kind to run longer distances, but instead kept a steady jog. It wasn't long before they reached town and, though they ran into another angry Rattata, any pokemon they happened across was driven off in two attacks. On the last battle before they came to town, Charlie even wound up shooting an Ember at it that had it running off!

"Pokémon Center first," Blue said firmly as she returned her pokemon, heading for the red roofed building nearby. "Then we'll go pick up the thing for the professor."

The center wasn't empty, not that she was really expecting it to be, but no one was at the counter. The nurse smiled at her, "Welcome to our Pokémon Center! Would you like me to heal your pokemon back to perfect health?"

"Yeah, please." Blue said, offering Charlie's pokeball. "He's not very hurt, more tired then anything, but I thought it best to take him just in case."

The nurse didn't say anything, simply taking the ball and hooking it up to a machine similar to the one her mother had in her room, but Blue thought that her smile was just a bit bigger. The machine turned out to be far more advanced than the one her mother had, finishing up in seconds where her mother's took at least an hour - _long enough for a nice nap!_ her mother always said - and soon enough Charlie's pokeball was in her hand once again.

"Thank you! Uh, can you tell me where the Pokémart is?" Blue asked.

"Of course. It's a bit further in the town but it's that way," the woman said, pointing to Blue's right. "The building with the blue roof. You can't miss it."

"Thanks again!" She called as she rushed out.

The nurse was right. She really couldn't miss it, no other building had a blue roof like it, plus there were glass doors that made it obviously a store. She went inside.

"Hey!" Someone called while she looked around at all the different things in the store, not paying attention until they added. "You come from Pallet Town?"

"Y-yes!" Blue blinked, realizing it was the man behind the counter talking to her and she hurried over. "That's me! The, uhh, the girl from Pallet Town."

"You know Professor Oak, right?"" the man barely waited for her to nod as he grabbed a wrapped something and put it on the counter. "His order came in. Can I get you to take it to him?"

"Of course! The professor asked me to pick it up for him." The man nodded, saying nothing as he focused on a customer and she fled, grabbing the parcel and stuffing it in her bag on her way out. "Okay. Now, time to head back to Pallet!"

It's odd that the road _back_ wasn't so overgrown as the road away from Pallet Town. The only parts that had hiding spots for wild pokemon was the final stretch right before the entrance to town. The run back was _much_ faster - she didn't even run into a single pokemon!

"Charlie, come out!" Blue called as she released her pokemon on the way to the lab. "I figured you would want to say your goodbyes to the professor."

_Charrmander._ She smiled, giving his head a little scratch before they continued to the lab, making their way inside easily. The professor was waiting for them and when he saw her he immediately spoke. "Oh, Blue! How's my old pokemon doing?"

_Charr!_ Charlie called out happily while she started going through her bag, only partially listening as she looked. She found the parcel stuffed beneath a shirt and bag of dry pokemon food. "Aha!"

"What's that?" The professor said as she tugged it out, offering it to him. "You have something for me?"

"...yeah? You asked me to pick it up from town for you?" She answered, feeling a bit awkward.

"Ah! It's the custom pokeball! Thank you!" The professor said happily.

Blue…. wasn't so sure if he remembered the request or not.

"Gramps!" She almost groaned when Green called, rushing over. "I almost forgot! What did you call me for?"

Professor Oak stared blankly for a moment before realization came. "Oh, right! I have a request for you two. On the desk there is my invention," The professor went to a desk at the back, picking up some kind of small, red machine. "The Pokedex! It automatically records data on pokemon you've seen or caught. It's a high-tech encyclopedia!"

"Blue and Green…. Take these with you." The professor walked over to them, offering a Pokedex in each hand. She glanced at Green, who pointedly did _not_ look at her as he swiped a Pokedex, before grabbing one. "You can't get detailed data on pokemon just by seeing them." Professor Oak warned. "You must catch them to obtain complete data. So, here are some tools for catching wild pokemon."

_Those…. those are pokeballs._ Blue thought, a bit awed that they were just being given a bunch of pokeballs. The Pokedex was one thing, it would help further the professor's research, but five pokeballs was a lot. Especially when no one sold them in town, and even the next town had to get them specifically delivered!

_At least it's not five potions?_ She thought, as she grabbed the balls and put them away. She didn't hear anything else the professor said, stuck on the idea of suddenly having pokemon and pokeballs to catch more.

"Blue," she blinked at being directly addressed, though it was Green speaking now. "I hate to say it, but you won't be necessary for this." He took on a sly look. "I know, I'll borrow a town map from my sis! And, I'll tell her not to lend _you_ one Blue!" He laughed as he left. "Don't bother coming around to my place after this!"

"...we," Blue told Charlie as she started walking slowly to the exit, giving Green enough time to visit and leave. "Are absolutely going to go visit Daisy."

_Charr…_ Charlie sounded just a bit smug to her.

"_Exactly_." Blue grinned.

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* * *

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**Pokemon: 1  
****Deaths: 0**

_**What happened to Blue's door? If one were to ask Blue then she'd tell you nothing happened to it, she just got tired of accidentally bumping into it in the morning before she was completely awake. If one were to ask her mother on the other hand, you would get a story about how Blue tried to practice her pokeball throws by painting targets on the door and trying to hit them with rocks until it eventually broke. **_

_**Blue, of course, would tell you that her mother is lying entirely.**_


End file.
